


The Might of a Schnee

by AsheBlender



Category: RWBY
Genre: Semblance Headcanon, Volume 7 (RWBY), Whiterose if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:41:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25699723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsheBlender/pseuds/AsheBlender
Summary: Willow feels more awake and alive than she’s felt in a very long time.She takes one more breath. It’s time.
Relationships: Willow Schnee & Weiss Schnee
Comments: 4
Kudos: 19





	The Might of a Schnee

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, I wanted to write something with Willow fighting and to play with my headcanon that she can summon more than one Grimm. And, to just have Weiss see how awesome her mom can be when she's not severely depressed. I know this probably doesn't make too much sense timeline-wise, as it's sort of set during when the Grimm are attacking Mantle, but... lemmie have this.

It had been quite a long time since Willow had geared up for any sort of battle.

Jacques had always made her feel so small. Like her abilities weren’t anything special. That she wouldn’t need to contribute a thing to a fight, when there were a hundred people who could do it better. That she could watch from afar while battles of life and death were fought. They were important, she knew that. _Just do as I say, you useless woman, you’re better off staying away._

At most, her daily battles became trying to keep her children from gaining the brunt of her husband’s ire. He held such high expectations for them. Impossible expectations that were clearly breaking them. It was no wonder two of them had fled and the other had become a confused parody of his father. She had taken many hits for her children, though clearly not enough. He shouldn’t have been able to push her around as much as he had. He was but a man, while she had one of the strongest hereditary semblances in Remnant.

But, that didn’t really matter much, when the battlefield was emotional. Jacques knew exactly where to strike to bring her to her knees. Knew how to manipulate the love she thought she had for him. To use her depression against her. To make her feel worthless and incapable of fighting back. By the time she’d realized what he’d done to her, her alcoholism had it’s own hooks deep inside her. It didn’t matter how strong her semblance was when she was tortured in her own mind and constantly put down. A simple slap across the face could send her reeling.

All through this, however, Willow wasn’t stupid. She knew that, one day, Jacques would do something that went too far. She was terrified of what might happen. In her paranoia, she had hidden cameras all around the places her husband frequented. Even a few he didn’t, just to be safe. It had paid off. Weiss had been investigating her father for any signs he was rigging the upcoming election. It had led to him being carted away by Atlas authorities. She should have felt happier, when it happened. But, all she felt was a horrible, bitter taste in her mouth as he loudly protested his arrest. He’d snarled at her as they dragged him past. _Let go of me! You!_ _You did this! You helped her, somehow, you stupid cow! You've taken everything from me!_

“It was never yours to have.” She’d muttered, voice quivering. She’s unsure quite with what. Anger? Sadness? The loss of how many years she’d wasted, doing nothing?

_I brought this family to where it was today! You’d be nothing if not for me-_

The punch she’d thrown across his face had felt good. It didn’t change anything in the long run. It didn’t make her a better person. But, you had to take the little things. Jacques had just stared at her in shock, blood starting to seep down his nose. Her icy eyes met his, brimming with power. And, for the first time in a very long time, he was Jacques Gele once more. Only this time, he wouldn’t be worming his way into her heart with his lies and sweet promises. And, he knows that. He has lost the last influence he had.

“You have no power over this family. Not anymore.”

They’d taken him away. He’d been silent from that point on. The shock never left his face. Like he hadn’t expected her to break free of his influence. In all honesty, had her daughter not been strong enough to go against him, she doubts she ever would have. Some part of her is still scared of him. But, her love is stronger for her children than her fear for him. She wasn’t Willow Schnee quite yet, but she was back on the path toward it.

She taps her sword lightly against the wall of the transport. Outside, Mantle is being overrun by Grimm. The negativity that all this business has caused would have undoubtedly drawn them. She hates that she had a role to play in this. She’d let things go this far. She’d let him do this. Watched as he tried to dig his grimy hands right into the seat of the government. She’ll be honest that she didn’t entirely know why Ironwood was acting the way he was. But, that was beside the point. She watched for far too long. Now was the time for doing.

The least she could do, after living up in her icy tower, was to help the people of Mantle flee up to Atlas. Just like she knows the huntsman and huntresses are doing. People who have been better than herself for far longer.

She spots a particular scene as the transport comes around a building, eyes widening as she smacks the door to get the pilot’s attention. He looks up at her in surprise. No doubt, he’d been planning to try and find a safe place to land. “This is my stop. Circle back around to pick up civilians.” She grits out, readying her sword as the pilot nods quickly. She takes a deep breath, preparing her aura for battle and her semblance for use it hasn’t seen in years. As the side door opens, the cold wind whips through her alabaster hair. Willow feels more awake and alive than she’s felt in a very long time. She takes one more breath. It’s time.

She throws herself out into the sky.

* * *

There’s so much chaos. Weiss is appalled that things were allowed to get this bad. After her father was arrested, she thought things might start going in the right direction. At least a little bit. But, someone had deactivated Mantle’s heat and now the splinters between Atlas and the lower city had fragmented into sharp, dangerous chunks. She knows that Ironwood’s plan necessitated secrecy, but all this had done was make things worse. And, now the Grimm were coming anyway. Some good all the secrecy had done.

She was down in the thick of it, trying to get as many civilians onto Atlesian transports as she could. To get them to some sort of safety. She’d lost sight of a good deal of the rest of the huntsman and huntresses by her side. She’d more recently run into Ruby and Jaune, who were trying desperately to coordinate with their teams. Ruby had actually full-on hugged her when she’d found Weiss, Jaune joining right in. Unfortunately, that tender moment hadn’t lasted very long.

A megoliath had decided it was the opportune time to charge down from another street and smash into the side of a building. She could hear screams coming from them, the Grimm howling and smashing it’s thick head against the building again. They’d leaped into action against the massive Grimm. Battling just the one, while trying to get innocent people out of the danger, was hard enough. But, when a second and third came barreling down the street, they knew they were in trouble.

Ruby cries out as she’s smashed down into the pavement by a heavy trunk. Arma Gigas retaliates by shouldering into the beast and slashing off a tusk in revenge. It gives Ruby enough time to scramble back, holding her ribs and gritting her teeth. Jaune is on her in a less than a second, calling out for the people he’d just led out to _move_ , glowing hands placed right along where she’s holding her ribs. Weiss has to buy them time. "You won't touch her. You won't touch _anyone_."

Gods, it’s too much.

But, Weiss Schnee doesn’t quit. Not when her friends need her. She’ll go down fighting for them, if she has to. The Megoliaths move forward, rumbling the streets with their shared movement. It’s enough to intimidate even the most stone-faced huntsman. Weiss stands her ground, Myrtenaster ready to back up her Arma Gigas as they both await the impact. She’s battered and bruised, but like _hell_ is she going to let them get through. “Come on, then! Face me!” She screams, keeping their attention solely on her. She can vaguely hear Ruby trying to join the fight. Jaune won’t let her, not while he’s trying to knit her ribs back together.

She grits her teeth and prepares for the impact.

It never comes.

The loud sound of an eagle fills the air before a brilliant, blue and white Nevermore crashes down in front of her. It’s massive wings spread and it lets out a deafening screech toward the coming Grimm. It suddenly takes off into the air, talons sinking into one of the Megoliaths and carrying it up into the air. The Grimm does it’s best to fight back. But, they weren’t built for air combat and it’s promptly torn to shreds by beak and talon. The shadowy dust of the dead Megoliath swirls into the air. The other Grimm stop their charge, wise enough to guard as the Nevermore swoops down to attack another one. Weiss isn’t sure what’s going on at first. She definitely hadn’t summoned that it. Her first thought is that Winter somehow found a way to join the battle. She looks around, hearing glyphs activating briefly, before seeing a figure land gracefully on the ground in front of her. She almost calls out her sister’s name.

She realizes that her sister has never worn her hair down in her life.

Her heart nearly stops as the figure turns to look over her shoulder. “M-Mother?”

The woman nods slowly, then turns back to the fight in front of her. The Nevermore is doing well, but more Grimm are coming. They’re running out of time. “Get those people to safety, Weiss. And, anyone else in this area that you can grab. The pilot I came in with should be looping back around.” She says curtly.

Weiss blinks away her bewilderment. “I’m not going to just leave you here!”

“I can handle things from here, Weiss. Get you and your partner out of here.” She states firmly. Then, in a quieter voice. “You’ve freed me, Weiss. Please... Let me do something right, for once.”

Weiss holds out a hand that slowly falls to her side. “Mother, I...”

Her mother gives a soft smile back to her. It almost looks like the smile she used to have, all those years ago. When she nuzzled Weiss’ hair and gushed about how proud she was of her little girl’s singing. It reminds her of kisses and hugs, of love and affection she sorely lacked for the longest time. Only now, with her chosen family, has she felt what it’s like once more. It makes her heart ache painfully in her chest. She's missed the way her mother used to look. She feels like a little girl again, looking up at the most beautiful woman in the world. “I survived your father, dear. These Grimm are pushovers in comparison to those long years.”

She huffs out a concentrated, icy breath that produces fog from her lips. “Allow me to show them the true might of the Schnee lineage.”

Weiss’ eyes widen as her mother casts another hand out. Another summoning circle etches itself into the pavement. Her other hand moves outward, another appearing on her opposite side. Out of one of the circles, a King Taijitu slithers forth with white and dark blue heads. The other summons an Alpha Beowolf that howls into the night. They’re both immediately on the attack. The Taijitu wraps around another Megoliath and sinks it’s fangs deep into it’s furry body. The Beowolf takes the opportunity to jump up and slash into it’s eyes with a frenzied snarl. Weiss can’t believe it. She’s only ever been able to summon one at a time. Even Winter doesn’t seem to be able to do much more than one. Willow casts a look back at Weiss. “If these Grimm would like to join the collection, I’m more than willing to make a place for them. Now, go!”

It leaves no room for argument.

Nodding a bit numbly, Weiss runs back to her teammates. She immediately has one of Ruby’s hands between two of her own, giving them a tight squeeze. She might be fussing over the redhead a bit too much. But, how can she not at the state her partner is in? “Jaune, how is-”

“Working on it. That trunk really messed her up.”

“Guys, I’m fine-”

“Shut up, you bonehead, and just get healed!” She looks back to Jaune. “Do you think we can get her up? There’s a transport coming back around to get survivors. Ruby’ll be safer to heal on that than in the middle of the street.”

Jaune spares a glance up as Willow charges into battle after a boost from a glyph, slicing a Sabyr in half as it rounds the corner. She yells out aggressively and uses her momentum to vault over another one. A hard gravity glyph smashes the beast into the ground with an ugly snap. He’s briefly distracted by that and the three summons that are absolutely killing the Grimm that just keep coming. Ruby speaks up as Jaune and Weiss help to lift her up, her eyes wide and shimmery. “Wow, is that your mom?”

Weiss looks back up to where her mother is fighting. She finds a small smile coming to her face, tears prickling at her eyes. “Yes… Yes she is.”


End file.
